


Between salted pastries and stumbling confessions

by Tuvstarrs



Category: Countdown to Countdown (Webcomic)
Genre: F/F, LLF Comment Project, M/M, Random & Short, Short & Sweet, Valentine Fic, for Valentine challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 01:48:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13671735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tuvstarrs/pseuds/Tuvstarrs
Summary: Sometimes you need a little nudge from a couple of well-meaning friends to get the ball rolling and sometimes, if one of those friends would happen to be Heather, you’ll get a literal kick in the seat of your pants too.Or: Lillium has something he wants to tell Iris but is terrified to do so, Heather decides to ‘help,’ and Begonia is there to ensure that they both behave.Because no matter who you are, it is hard to confess.





	Between salted pastries and stumbling confessions

**Author's Note:**

> A silly little Valentine fic written for the ‘show me the love' challenge (which I kind of turned into a ‘just tell him already, goddamnit!’ challenge) hosted by the most wonderful fanofthisfiction on ffnet.

“It’s a wonder Iris doesn’t get a burn in the neck from all the staring, you know.”

Hearing the sarcastic tone in Heather’s voice, Lillium deemed the quip unworthy of a reply and merely scowled at her before returning to his previous task of adding caster-sugar to the bowl of cream in front of him. Of course, that didn’t deter her though.

“Honestly, stop being such a baby and just ask him out already.”

Ok, that was enough teasing.

“First of all, I was _not_ staring, and-”

“Uhum, sure, would totally have believed ya’ if it wasn’t for the fact that you just chucked in half a cup of salt into the bowl,” she interrupted mercilessly, causing Lillium to instantly drop his second argument and look down at the bowl. She was right. Distracted by seeing Iris through the open window—he had taken a habit of spending as much time as possible outside once he got out of that institution— sitting cross-legged on the ground underneath the old oak the campervan was parked next to, completely occupied with his latest drawing-project. Lillium _had_ added salt instead of sugar and effectively ruined both valuable produce, effort and the batch itself, great. To his defence, the containers were right next to each other, though he doubted she would listen to that.

He was just about to reply when Begonia, sensing the irritation in the air, joined them in the minute kitchen and jumped in to avoid further crossness.

“L-lil, you know she is just saying that b-b-because we all can see how much you t-two like each other. Y-you’ve been l-living under the same roof for m-m-months now and… well… w-we just want you to be happy.”

Ah, he guessed he couldn’t be too grumpy about Heather’s shameless prying when Begonia put it like that. While he wasn’t overly excited about the intrusion of his and Iris’, currently non-existent, love-life, he also acknowledged that they meant well, even though Heather’s tactic was a little bit too blunt for his taste. Ditching the now ruined crème patisserie that was meant to go with the profiteroles he had in the oven to start anew, he relented, sighing.

“You’re not helping,” he grumbled and gave them both a sour glare because honestly, it wasn’t like they could talk. He had heard Begonia bemoan her agony over not knowing what to do with her feelings towards a certain brunette _far_ too long before the other finally mustered up enough courage—with great help from a bottle of cheap vodka— to ask her out, for them to be able to put themselves on any high horses now.

“Listen, all I’m saying is that I’ve seen you sit and stare at him, while ruining perfectly good pastry might I add, for like five minutes straight now. It’s a miracle he hasn’t noticed, but I guess he is way too focused on his painting. We all know how you feel about him. Heck, I’m pretty sure he knows how you feel about him. So get your stuff together, march out that door and ask him out on a date.”

“I said, _not_ helping,” Lillium grouched. Honestly, what did they expect him to do? Just walk up to Iris and blurt it out? Ask him to be his frickin Valentine or something? How lame was that? No one even celebrated Valentine’s Day anymore.

Valentine… It was tomorrow, and Begonia had a point. Ever since Iris had moved in with him he had been debating with himself how to approach the subject, and he had to admit it was driving him insane. Having thought about it roughly a million times he had resolved to ask him out over and over again but something had always gotten in the way. They had been busy: from the construction and execution of the elaborate plan to finally free Begonia, to stopping the camp from being overrun by a hoard of dead ones passing by just last week. However, even as he was thinking it, he had to admit all of that were just excuses. If he was to be entirely honest with himself, _he_ was the ‘something’ that had always gotten in the way.

He was nervous.

No point in denying it.

It was _Iris_ for Pete’s sake.

And… aarrrg. Iris meant more to him than anything, and the mere idea that he would screw it up was nothing short of terrifying.

“He still doesn’t even remember. How can I expect him to think of me as anything but the guy who got him out and then dumped a whole bunch of conspiracy-level info on him?”

“If it’s any h-help, I’ve s-seen how he l-looks at you. Y-you have nothing to worry about,” Begonia offered, and while the encouraging words lit a nervous, flickering hope somewhere in his chest, something in the way the corner of her lips quirked upwards made him suspicious.

“…what do you two really know?”

“Oh, nothing at all. Honest. Just go talk to him now, okay?” Heather pushed, “I got some vine here with your name on it. If you think that’ll make it easier?” she quipped helpfully, holding up a half-empty bottle and shaking it to emphasize her point. An offer he quickly shot down, _that_ wasn’t going to happen, and ran his fingers through his hair.

Well, today was as good as any day to die, he supposed.

“Fine. Just watch the oven, will you?” he asked before taking a deep breath and leaving the kitchen, followed closely by the two girls, and walked over to the small door of the camper trailer. Grabbing the handle and opening the door, he looked back to tell them to bugger off, an audience was the last thing he needed, but Heather was faster. Before he realized what she was about to do, she gave him a pretty forceful nudge with the tip of her toe just as he was turning, and being mid-step and completely unprepared he lost his balance completely, taking a nose-dive out the door straight onto the concrete.

“Heather! What the?-” he barked as he landed, trying to regain his equilibrium by shaking his head a couple of times before checking out his hands to inspect the damage. He had managed to get his hands up to take the brunt of the fall, and now they stung something infernal. Both the girls ran to his side to help him up, Begonia looking shocked, while Heather apologised over and over saying she didn’t mean for that to happen, something he might have been inclined to believe if it wasn’t so obvious that she was trying to stop herself from grinning, _devil woman_. Iris had in the meantime joined them; looking adorably baffled. Lillium couldn’t blame him.

“Uh? What happened. Did I really see that right? Did you just trip and fell out of the trailer? ” Iris asked, and Lillium could clearly hear the gloat in his voice before he—after ensuring that Lillium was okay—broke down in unrestrained laughter, soon followed by Heather. Even Begonia’s initial alarmed expression softened when the other two laughed, and he swore he could see the corner of her lips twitch too.

Hilarious, dead set hilarious, why was he friends with these people again?

By giving Heather another glare that promised a bucket-load of future pain, he got the girls to implement a strategic retreat as Heather dragged Begonia inside again, still giggling. Brushing the dirt off his knees and hands, he shifted so that he sat up properly before muttering a short confirmation that he was fine to Iris. He wasn’t about to out the reason for the literal push, as he then would have to explain the figurative one as well.

“What was all that about?” Iris insisted and pulled him back on his feet. “Uh, nothing, don’t worry about it,” Lillium muttered, catching the glimpse of a curtain moving in the small window, and swallowing. Well, he was here. The lead up had been nothing like he had planned or imagined, but then again, things never did seem to go as he planned, ever.

“Right, ok if you’re all right, I’ll just go back to the painting then,” Iris replied, still looking rather baffled and sceptical, but was stopped before he could leave by Lillium grabbing his arm to get him to stay.

“I, um Iris… I have something I want to ask.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of LLF Comment Project, whose goal is to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites:
> 
> Short comments
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> 
> Questions
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> Constructive criticism
> 
> “<3” as extra kudos
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> LLF Comment Builder
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> This author replies to comments.


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